Royal Challengers Bangalore win big as Renuka and Molineux thrash the Giants

RCB ace the chase in 12.3 overs thanks to Mandhana and Meghana’s blitz

Another day, another packed crowd for a Royal Challengers Bangalore match, another win for the home side. Last season, it took RCB seven games to get four points on the table; in WPL 2024, it's taken them just two as they put on another solid all-round display to continue their winning streak and beat Gujarat Giants by eight wickets at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

It was Renuka Singh who started the Giants' downfall with a brilliant spell of new-ball bowling, taking 2 for 14 from her four overs. Sophie Molineux then ripped through the middle order, finishing with 3 for 25 as Giants limped to 107 for 7 from their 20 overs.

In reply, Smriti Mandhana smashed a 27-ball 43 and S Meghana continued the momentum as RCB raced to their target in just 12.3 overs to move to the top of the points table.

Renuka 'Swing' helps RCB stay in the game

At the toss, RCB captain Mandhana was hoping for some early support for her fast bowlers, as had been the case in some of the previous matches. And Renuka did not disappoint. The Giants had a new opening combination of Beth Mooney and Harleen Deol. But it didn't change their fortunes.

Renuka got the ball to bounce around, but it was her in-between lengths that kept the batsmen guessing. Mooney started with two fours off Renuka, one a flourishing square drive that got her off the mark and the other a wristy flick through midwicket.

Renuka didn't take it well. She got the ball to turn around the wicket and back to Mooney. The batsman played down the wrong line and found herself flattened outside off. Then came Phoebe Litchfield, promoted to number 3. But the RCB bowlers had both her and Deol in a stranglehold. The Giants managed just 16 runs in the first five overs before three fours in the sixth helped end the powerplay.

Renuka then claimed her second wicket, removing Litchfield, who was bowled by Richa Ghosh. Renuka had now taken more wickets in this match than she had in the previous seven WPL matches combined. The Giants were cut to size.

Giants can't cope with Molineux's left-arm spin

Molineux is making up for lost time after being sidelined for almost 12 months with an ACL injury. She came to the crease in the ninth over and immediately found her feet. Mixing pace and length, she had Veda Krishnamurthy slogged over deep midwicket in her second over. She then saw Deol go for a non-existent single and ran her out as the Giants slipped to 50 for 4 in the 11th over.

When she returned for her next spell, she took the wicket of Kathryn Bryce, who was bowled at pace. She was taken for four and six in the death overs but made sure of her third wicket by stumping Sneh Rana.

Had it not been for D Hemalatha's 35-ball 31, the Giants would have failed to get past 100. They had faced 67 dot balls in the innings, the most by any team in a WPL match.

RCB in pole position with Mandhana and Meghana

Mandhana had NRR in her sights from the outset. A backfoot punch past backward point, a pull over midwicket, and a thump through square leg: she struck three fours off the first four balls from Lea Tahuhu and there was no looking back.

Bryce was driven over deep midwicket and Meghna Singh was hit for successive fours as RCB reached 32 for 0 after three overs. Ashleigh Gardner got the better of Sophie Devine but that did not stop the RCB train.

Meghana, fresh from a half-century against UP Warriorz, continued in the same vein, going over the top twice off Bryce. Mandhana eventually fell for 43, an easy return catch to Tanuja Kanwar, but the damage had been done.

Ellyse Perry came in at No. 4 and immediately got the boundaries flowing. She pulled one over a short fine leg to seal victory for RCB with 45 balls to spare.

The Giants are now bottom of the points table.